The Concept: CONNECTION. Issue #000002
Q: I've got some great video in the can, can I just use that?
A: B-Roll and stock tracks are not going to cut it.
With TikTok, Reels, OTT, and Streaming services, we've demonstrated our collective preference for video. It's a medium that can deliver a message with ease and timing—if you know what that message is. Brands have to connect with consumers, and while video is a great medium to draw potential buyers further down the sales funnel, it is not a panacea. If you're investing in video content, which can take a village to do well, you need to have a plan in place as to how it will be used.
The 'show up and throw up' approach of stock pans and establishing drone shots does nothing to create a sense of urgency or demand. And, it seems like you're not sure what to say, or worse, can't be bothered to connect. As though the audience, and their needs, are second to your offering.
1. AUDIENCE FIRST
The Gen Z opinion freight-train is barreling down the track, taking the rest of the populace right along with it. "What's in it for me?" is the question every campaign should start with. Years of COVID isolation have made consumers more selfish than ever, and destinations looking for visitors, or brands looking for marketshare, need to capitulate to that selfishness and work to position themselves as the answer to "What's in it for me?"
2. BALLPARK, BABY
It takes about half a second for a pitch to cross home plate. We form opinions in about the same amount of time. For first impression's sake, your message should be short, meaningful, and memorable. The crack of a bat in a stadium full of noise. Target your ideal customer and sell to their needs, don't just show what you have to offer—it's not enough. More than ever, consumers want a guarantee that their time and money will be well invested.
It's an extra step to find ways to connect your captured content (or, go shoot some fresh footage) with your audience in mind. Demonstrate value, promote options, create demand, connect the dots. Anything less is a waste of marketing budget.
3. GENERIC MESSAGING IS...GENERIC
Video is incredibly flexible to leverage in any number of directions. Digital and social media buys, categorized by interest, gender, age and social demographics allow brands to completely customize their message. Edit your footage toward deployment, or build the buy around a specific edit, with another variation for a different target.
Script Writing Sample: Legends of Granite Peak
4. CREATE FOR THE MEDIUM
It's vertical. And, horizontal. And square, just to be safe. Again, user-based decision-making: how will the piece be viewed? Likely on a phone? Make sure you're using as much of the screen as possible, and you're not diminishing visual impact.
5. MUSIC, MAESTRO
It matters, more than ever. TikTok's connection to the music industry has opened up a world of audio options, and brand-based edits shared on social platforms need to match the production vibe.
Music choice can elicit a range of emotional responses from an audience, create a rhythm for clips and scenes, and emphasize the overall story.
The quality of your footage speaks directly to the quality of your business or organization. Video, as a marketing medium, should work in service to a larger campaign, provide a clear call to action, and be tailored to a specific audience.
– TRAMPOLINE DESIGN • 08/21/2023
